Intermediate apron conveyer for sugar-cane mills.



PATENTED APR. 11, 1905.

M. LORENZ. INTERMEDIATE APRON CONVEYER FOR SUGAR CANE MILLS.

APPLICATION FILED OGT.25, 1904.

No. 787,101. PATENTED APR.11, 1905. M. LORENZ. INTERMEDIATE APRON GONVEYBR FOR SUGAR CANE MILLS.

APPLICATION FILED OGT.25,1904.

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Patented April 11, 1905.

UNTTED STATES PATENT UFFTcE.

MAX LORENZ, OF HONOLULU, T ERRI'I'ORY OF I'IAIVAII.

INTERMEDIATE APRON CONVEYER FOR SUGAR-CANE MILLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 787,101, dated April 11, 1905.

Application filed October 25, 1904. Serial No. 229,920.

Referring to the drawings, it will be noted i Be it known that I, MAX LORENZ, asub ect 1 that above theapron A is a roller or drum A, ofthe lerman Emperor, residing at Honolulu, 5

Island of Oahu, 'lerritory of Hawaii, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1n Intermediate Apron Uonveyers for Sugar- Uane Mills; and I hereby declare the followmg to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

.\ly invention relates to improvements in apron conveyers between sugar-cane mills for 1 conveying the crushed cane from one mill and feeding it to the next mill; and its object is to produce a more even and a heavier feed than heretofore, thereby increasing the capacity and the efficiency of the mill.

An intermediate apron conveyer for sugarcane mills usually consists of two endless belts with slats attached to form the apron, said belts running oversuitable pulleys orsproeketwheels mounted on shafts, one of the shafts being driven by the mill, so that the speedof the apron is proportionate to the speed of the mill. Sides are provided between which the apron travels, preventing the crushed cane from falling off the apron. Unless the layer of crushed cane covers the apron its entire width and a uniform feed is produced the mill is not worked to its full capacity and a high eliiciency is not obtained.

By my improvements a uniform compressed layer the full width of the apron is fed to the mill, a stronger apron is produced, and the elliciency of the mill increased, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents in elevation and part section an intermediate apron conveyer embodying my invention. Fig. 2 re resents a top plan view of same. Fig. 3 represents, on a larger scale, a longitudinal section of the apron shown in Fig. 1. Fig. I represents, on a larger scale, a crosssectional elevation of part of the apron, showing the hinge-pin.

Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the views.

which is free to revolve in journals in the ends of the two arms Ii. These arms are pivoted to the carrier sides at C, so that the drum A may swing up through an arc with as the center. The crushed cane discharged from the mill .1) onto the apron is carried upon same and soon encounters the under side of the drum A, which by its weight pressesand spreads out and levels the crushed cane into a compact even layer upon the apron. The thicker the layer the higher the drum is lifted and swung up about the pivots (I. By this means I obtain a more compact layer and a heavier and a more uniform feed to the mill I 1 than has heretofore been obtained, and consequently more and better work can be accomplished; but this thick layer of crushed cane and a heavy feed can only be produced when the apron is strong enough to stand the pressure without bending or sagging or breaking, as I have found to be the ease with aprons as hereto fore constructed. Therefore I have improved the construction of the apron in the following manner: Instead of the usual two belts to carry theapron-slats I employ four or more belts, depending upon the width of the apron. These belts are spaced at comparatively short distances apart and run over sprockets I I on the driven shaft J. They are made up of the usual short linkblocks F, and each slat (l of the apron extends clear across the width of the apron and is fastened to one link-block F in each of the belts, thus tying all the belts together; but instead of short bolts or pins, which usually connect only adjacent link-blocks of a single belt together, I use one rod or hinge-pin I'I, passing through and connecting all the link-blocksattached to one slat with those of the next slat, thus forming a pintle or hinge-pin extending substantially the width of the apron. These pins II are of nearly the same length as the width of the apron and prevent the link-blocks from twistingand thcslats from undue bending and saggin The slats (ir are preferably of a width to overlap each other, as shown in Fig. 3, one edge being curved down under the opposite edge of the adjacent slat, and the tu rned-down edge is slotted, as at b, in order to permit the belts to bend in passing around the sprockets.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an apron conveyer for sugar cane mills, a plurality of parallel link belts, slats Gr secured to the links of the belts, and a hingepin H extending across the conveyer and connecting corresponding links of the several belts together.

2. In an apron conveyer for sugar cane mills, a plurality of parallel link belts, slats G secured to adjacent links of the belts and overlapping one another, and hinge-pins H extendscribing Witnesses.

MAX LORENZ. Witnesses:

J. O. YOUNG, ROBT. J. PRATT. 

